Apoptosis is known to have an important role in morphogenesis, homeostasis, immune protection, etc. of individuals [Bosman F T, Visser B C, van Oeveren J. (1996) Pathol. Res. Pract. 192(7): 676-83]. Further, human TGF-β is known to have various functions related with regulation of development, differentiation, growth and oncogenic transformation of cells [Massague, J. (1990). Annu. Rev. Cell Biol. 6:597-641] and to show a useful role in morphogenesis [Akhurst R J, FitzPatrick D R, Gatherer D. Lehnert S A, Millan S A, Millan F A. Prog. Growth Factor Res. (1990) 2(3):153-68]. Accordingly, proteins induced by human TGF-β and having apoptotic activity are considered to participate in morphogenesis, as well as onset and progression of cancers, immunological diseases, etc.
Proteins inducing apoptosis have a potential as target proteins for developing low-molecular pharmaceuticals intended for apoptosis, and it is required to obtain as many apoptosis-related proteins as possible.
The object of the invention is to provide novel apoptosis-related proteins inducing apoptosis of cells and genes encoding the apoptosis-related proteins, which genes are useful for development of pharmaceuticals, etc. Other object of the invention is to provide genetic manipulation materials such as polynucleotides encoding the proteins, antibodies against the proteins, etc.